Brake-beam fulcrum.



J. W. McGEE.-

BRAKE BEAM FULCRUM. APPLICATION FILED 001. a. 1914. RENEWED MAY 14.1911.

Patented Dec. 18,1917.

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BRAKE BEAM FULCRUM. APPLlCATlON HLED OCT. 8, I914. RENEWED MAY H. NHL

1,250,915. Patented Dec; 18, 911,

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EJMwtM qwi bnemo UNITED STATES PAEN; m.

JAMES W. MCGEE, OF BESSEMER, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALE 10 WALTER V.

. TATUIVI, OF ENSLEY, ALABAMA.

BRAKE-BEAM FULCBUM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

Application filed October 8, 1914, Serial No. 865,733. Renewed May 14,1917. Serial No. 168,592.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES W. MGGEE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bessemer, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake- BeamFulcrums, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in reversible brakebeam fulcrums, the primary object of my invention being the provision ofa fulcrum which, when once'attached to the brake beam, may be employedto hold the brake lever, when in use, in connection with a right or lefthand beam, being readily convertible from one to the other withoutremoval from the beam. 7

A. further object of my invention is the provision of a fulcrum of theabove de scribed character which when assembled about a brake beam maybe firmly and rigidly secured to the brake beam by a single bolt orother fastening device and in which the mere securing of the fulcrum tothe beam serves to complete the securing of the rocker or reversibleblock carrying the brake lever in the body of the fulcrum.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fulcrum of the abovedescribed type having a body or frame formed in upper and lower portionswhich together form a clamp for engagement with the brake beam and abearing for the lever carrying rocker.

A still further object of my invention is theprovision of means forfacilitating the assembling of the body portions of the fulcrum frameduring their application to the brake beam.

With these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and thenspecifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form apart of this application.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved brake beam fulcrum;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the fulcrum;

Fig. 3 is a central, vertical longitudinal sectional view of thefulcrum, parts of the frame being shown in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line l4l of Fig. 3,showing the brake lever in one position;

Fig. 5 is a corresponding view, showing the brake lever in reverseposition.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by ing heads16 and 17. These clamping heads I in eflect form jaws for engagementabout the vertical flange of the brake beam 11 and are provided withextended flanges or lips 18 at their free ends adapted to engage againstthe upper and lower faces of the horizontal flange of the brake beam. Itwill of course be understood that the inner faces of these lips orflanges 18 lie in planes somewhat offset from the common planerof theinner faces of the remainder of the jaws or heads. These jaws or headsare further channeled interiorly as shown at 19 to seat the edges of thevertical flange of the brake beam in order to permit the inner faces ofthe jaws or heads to engage against each other and against thehorizontal flange of the beam. The body or frame members above specifiedare secured to the brake beam by means of a bolt 20 passed through thelips or flanges 18, through an opening formed in the brake beam andsecured against disengagement by a cotter pin 21 or other suitablefastening device. It will of course be clear that a bolt and nut or arivet may be substituted for the pin 20 and cotter pin, if deemedadvisable.

The abutting inner faces of the jaws, in addition to the transversechannels 19, are provided with longitudinal channels 22 semicircular incross section and. so formed in the respective jaws that when the frameis assembled they combine to form a cylindrical bearing for one end ofthe rocker block 12 as will be later set forth in detail.

The free end of the frame member 14 is formed with a downwardlydirected, enlarged head 23 provided with a cylindrical bore 24 forming asecond bearing in alinement with the bearing formed in the aws of theframe. That portion of the head below the bore 2 L is extended to apoint on the level with the lower edge of the lower frame member 15 andsuch extended portion is bi furcat-ed or slotted asshown at 25 toreceive the free end of the frame member 15. The free end of this latterframe member is somewhat enlarged to more firmly seat inthe slot 25 andextends somewhat beyond the outer face of the head 23 as shown at 26,this extend d portion being provided with an upstanding lug or shoulder27 which, in assembled position of the frame, engages against the outerface of the head 23 to hold the frame members against relativelongitudinal movement. The arms of the head 23 of the frame member 14,formed by slotting such head member, together with the free end portionof the frame member 15, are formed with alined perforations or bores toreceive a locking pin 28 or equivalent fastening device, the locking pinbeing held in place by a cotter pin 29.

The above described body portion or frame of the fulcrum carries therocker block 12 which consists of a body portion which may be eithercylindrical or polygonal in cross section and which extends the wholedistance between the jaws or heads which clamp about the brake beam andthe head 23 of the frame member 14. This rocker block is formed at itsends with axially disposed trunnions 30 and 31 adapted to seat in thebearings of the frame, whereby the rocker is free for turning movementin the frame. This rocker or block is provided centrally with adiametrically formed slot 32 through which the brake lever 13 is passed,the brake lever being pivoted intermediate its length in this slot by apin 33 passed through alined perforations formed in the block and lever,the pin being secured against disengagement by a cotter pin 34. Asclearly shown in the various figures of the drawings, the slot 32, whilesubstantially equal in thickness to he th ckness of the brake lerer, isconsider-a -y long r than the width of the lever in order to permit freeswinging movement of the lever axially of the block. Furthermore, theblock is so proportioned that it may readily turn in the frame and thepin 33 is short enough to permit such turning. Under thesecircumstances, it will be clear that the block and its lever may beswung in either of the positions shown in Figs. 4 and 5 as circumstancesmay demand. The free ends of the lever are, of course. provided withbores or perforations 35 for attachment with the remaining brakemechanism.

The side edge portions of the clamping heads or aws l6 and 17 arepreferably strengthened by reinforcing ribs or shoulders 36, as bestshown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, although such bracing is notabsolutely essential. the pins 20 and 28 will be sufficient to hold theframe together, particularly in view of the fact that the shoulder 27will assist in holding the free ends of the frame member againstindependent movement. as the rocker body extends throughout the lengthof the frame opening, it will be clear that it will be held againstlongitudinal movement. It will further be clear that inasmuch as thetrunnion 31 of such body is journaled in a bearing formed wholly in thehead 23 of the upper frame member 10, the rocker block may be positionedin the upper frame member previous to the application of the latter tothe lower frame member and brake beam, thereby greatly facilitating theassembling of the fulcrum.

As will be seen, by reference to Fig. 3, that trunnion of the rockerseating in the bore 24 does not extend completely through the head 23 ofthe frame. Because of this, the fulcrum may be utilized with truss beamsby the employment of a pin 37 seating in the outer end of the bore 25and terminating in a truss engaging head 38 having the lower port-ion ofits outer face concaved transversely as shown at 39 and its upperportion slotted to provide spaced perforated ears a0 to which a link maybe pivoted.

The foregoing description, especially when taken in connection with thedrawings, is believed to fully disclose not only the construction butthe operation of the brake beam fulcrum and any further explanation istherefore deemed superfluous.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is:

1. A brake beam fulcrum including a twopart frame, the parts beingadapted at one end for co-acting clamping engagement with brake beam andprovided at said end with grooves co-acting to provide a hearing whenthe frame is assembled, the free end of one part having a laterallyprojecting, slotted head to of the other part, a bore formed in the headadjacent the slot to provide a bearing in alinement with the firstbearing, means for securing the free ends of the. frame parts together,and a slotted rocker block mounted between the frame members andprovided at its ends with trunnions seating in the bearings of theframe.

2. A brake beam fulcrum including a twopart frame, the parts beingadapted at one end for co-acting clamping engagement with a brake beamand provided at said end with grooves eo-actin g to provide a bearingwhen the frame is assembled, the free end of one part. having alaterally projecting slotted It will be clear that 7' Inasmuch receivethe laterally projecting end 7 head to receive the laterally projectingend of the other part, a bore formed in the head adjacent the slot toprovide a bearing in alinement with the first bearing, means forsecuring the free ends of the frame parts together, a slotted rockerblock mounted between the frame members and provided with trunnionsseating in the frame bearings, and a pin seating in the outer end of thebore and terminating in a head having a concave outer face and upwardlydirected spaced ears.

3. A brake beam fulcrum including a tw0- part frame adapted at one endfor co-acting clamping engagement with a brake beam and provided at suchend with grooves coacting to provide a bearing when the frame isassembled, the free end of one part having a laterally projecting headprovided with abore to form a bearing in alinement with the firstbearing, means for securing the free ends of the frame parts together,and a rocker block j ournaled in the bearings of the frame.

i. A brake beam fulcrum including a two part frame, the parts beingadapted at one end for co-acting clamping engagement with a brake beam,the other end of one part having a head directed toward the other partwith a bifurcated terminal to receive the corresponding end of the otherpart, whereby the head may receive a truss engaging member, and a leverreceiving rocker mounted in the frame.

5. A brake beam fulcrum including a two part frame, the parts beingadapted at one end for co-acting clamping engagement with a brake beam,the other end of one part having a head directed toward the other partwith a bifurcated extension to receive the corresponding end of theother part, whereby the head of the first part is adapted to receive atruss engaging member, said end of the second part having a lockingshoulder engaging against the outer face of the slotted end of the head,and a rocker revolubly mounted in the frame and having a lever receivingslot.

6. A brake beam fulcrum including a two part frame, the parts beingadapted at one end for co-acting clamping engagement with a brake beam,the other end of one part iaving a head directed toward the other partand with a bifurcated terminal to receive the corresponding end of theother JAMES W. MCGEE. [L.s.]

Witnesses:

MARGARET Gooowm, JOHN D. STUDWAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G."

